Exercising apparatus.



H. M. RUDEN. EXERCISING APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 26. 1917.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918 2 SHEETSSHEET I.

H. M. RUDEN.

EXERCISING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION man sumze. 1911.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

till

HENRY M. RUBEN, 01* WEED HAVEN, CONNECTICUT.

EKERUISING APPARATUS.

Application filed September 26. 1917.

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I. HENRY M. ltuonu, a citizen of the United States, residing at l' i est Haven. in the county of New llaveu and ldtate of Connecticut. have invented a new and useful improvement in l lxercising Apparatus; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the :u'eoinpanying drawings and the characters of i ference marked thereon, to be a full, clear. and exact description of the same, and which said drawings cmstitute part of this applicatioin and represent in-- l igure l a View in front elevation of one form which my improved exercising apparatus may assume.

Fig. 2 a view thereof in side elevation.

Fig. 3 a plan view thereof showing a rowin g-seat combined therewith.

lfi i a detached view in elevation. of one of the weight-frames.

lily iilventiou relates to an improved exercising apparatus for use in gyinuasiums and in private homes, the object being to produce a simple, compact and durable apparatus designed and constructed to compel the 8X01."- ciser to make predetermined co-extensive circular movements with his arms. whereby a symmetrical development of his body is promoted.

ll ith these ends in View, my invention consists in an exercising apparatus having two handles or grips turning upon centers and connected with weights. the said haudles or grips imposing predetermined, coextensive circular movenu-znts upon the arms of the exerciser.

ihly invention further consists in certain details of construction, and combinations of parts as will be hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

in carrying out my invention as herein shown. I employ two euercisin g wheels 2 and 3 located in the same horizontal plane. eac provided on rim with an upstanding grip or handle l. and designed to be spaced apart so that the outer edges of their rims will be separated by about the limit of the reach of the exerciser when his arms are fully extended. The wheel 2 is secured by a stud 5 to the upper end of an upright 6 having a foot 7 by means of which it is fastened to the floor, while the wheel 3 is pivoted by a corresponding stud 8 upon the upper end of an upright 9 provided with a foot 10 by means Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 193,275.

of which it is secured to the floor. These u prights will he about waist high.

The upright (S is provided with two ln'anchdittings ill from which. two parallel pipes 12 extend into corresponding but larger )ipes 13 carried by branchdittings 14lupon the upright 5.). By telescoping the pipes 12 with. respect to the pipes 1.3, the uprights (3 and 9 may be moved toward or away from each other, according to the size and arm-reach of the exerciser. When the uprights have been placed in proper position as required. their feet '7 and 10 are fastened to the floor.

The handles l are mounted upon studs 15 upstanding from the rims of the wheels 2 and 3, the studs being furnished at their lower ends with loops ill to which are attached weight-cords 11' running rearward to vertically movable weight-holders 18 each provided with a stack of weights l9 and each. formed at its lower end with a plate 220 having projecting lugs 21 perforated for the reception of parallel guide-rods 22 having their upper and lower ends secured in rectangular weight frames respectively located directly back of the uprights 6 and 9 aforesaid. Each of the said weight-fra1nes 9 3 is mounted upon a short standard Qel terminating in a foot 25 adapted to be fastened to the floor and corresponding to the feet 7 and 10 aforesaid. The weight-cords 17 pass over sheaves the frames 27 of which are iivotally mounted in clips 28 secured to the upper cross pieces of the weight-frames 23. The weight-cords 17 pass downward from the sheaves 26, over pulleys 29 in the upper ends of the weight-holders 18, the extreme ends of the weight-cords being extended upward and fastened to the clips 28. The respective weight-frames 23 are rigidly connected with the uprights G and 9 by means of stretcher members 30. It will, be i'lnderstood that in adjusting the apparatus in width to the reach of the exerciser, either the left hand. upright 6 and its connected weightframe must be moved toward or away from the righthand upright 9 and its weight frame, or vice versa, the frame of the appamttus, as thus constructed, consisting of two separately organized parts telescoped together.

In using my improved apparatus it will preferably be adjusted so that when the wheels are turned to bring the handles into their outermost positions, the exerciser is just able to reach them with his arm fully outstretched. In exercising, the exerciser takes a central position in front of the machine between the two wheels, and turns them simultaneously or alternately, toward him or away from him according to the muscles which it is desired that his enercises shall bring into play. In any event, the wheels which are on the same level and which are of the same diameter, will serve to guide his hands and arms, and impose not only circular movement upon them, but what is more important, an equal sweep of movement for each arm. The nniscles on. the res iective sides of the body, thus brought into play, are therefore contracted and relaxed identically, tending toward their equal develoynnent, whereas in an exercising apparatus of the pulleyweight type wherein the arms are neither guided nor equalized in their movement, the development of the muscles tends to be unequal and lop-sided. In using my improved apparatus, moreover, the turning of the wheels is found to be less fatiguing than the reciprocating movement celled for by pulleyweights, so that the exerciser is carried along, as it were, and does his exercises with the minimum of fatigue.

In the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the exerciser is designed to stand upright in front of it, midway of its wheels, but the principle on which my apparatus is constructed is equally applicable for use in bringing into play and symmetrically developing other muscles than those brought into play by the apparatus shown in the said figures.

Fig. 3 I have shown my apparatus combined with a sliding rowing-seat 31 on tracks 32 supporting at their forward ends, the usual foot-rests with. their straps 34-. In the use of this combined apparatus, the exerciser works himself back and forth on the sliding seat 31, while he simulates the movement of rowing; by turning the wheels 2 and 3. It is also too apparent to require illustration, that, if desired, the wheels 2 and 3 might be arranged in a horizontal plane above the head of the exerciser with their handles depending rather than. upstanding. In such an arrangement, the exerciser would reach upward with his arms and rotate the wheels in the manner already described. While I have herein shown the use of wheels, which is my preference, it is apparent that the guiding and impositional effect will be the same if they are replaced by crank-arms provided with handles and connected by pulley cords with weights.

I claim 1. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with a twopart frame the respective parts of which are adjustable toward and away from each other, of two handlegrips respectively mounted upon the two parts of the franile for being operated by the arms of an exerciser stationed between them, and weights connected with the respective handle-grips which impose predetermined ("o-extensivecircular movements upon the arms of the exerciser.

2. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with two wheels located in the same horizontal plane, provided with handle-grips and relatively positionedto be operated by the respective arms of the exerciser; of weights connected with the respective wheels which impose predetermined, co-extensive circular movements upon the arms of the exerciser.

3. In an exercising,- apparatus, the combination with a two-part frame the respective parts of which. are adjustable towardand away from each other, of wheels mounted in the same plane upon the respective parts of ti e frame and each provided with a handlegrip, and weights connected with the respective wheels.

l. In an exercising apparatus, the combination with'a two-part frame the parts of which are adjustable toward and away from each other and each part of which comprises an upright front end and a weightlraine at its rear end; of wheels mounted in the same alane upon the upper ends of the said front uprights, weight-holders located within the said weight frames, and weight-cords connecting the respective wheels and weight-holders.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscrihing witnesses.

HENRY M. RUBEN;

Witnesses G. L. WEED, G. D. SEYMOUR.

GQDiQS of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the fiemmissioner mt Patents,

Washington, I), G. 

